Undeniable
by Ryan-Marissa-Seth-Summer
Summary: AU! Marissa is 25, and happily engaged. She falls for the architect building her new house. She know she shouldn't be with him. But, she can't help it. he's undeniable. RM
1. Default Chapter

"Hey!"

"Hey Babe."

"I'm on my way to the house…" She said in an excited voice.

"Oh, great. You'll love it."

"I know I will…"

"Oh, babe, I got to go. See you tonight. Love you."

"Bye. Love you."

Marissa hung up her phone, then turned on the radio, switching to her favorite station. Her hair flew all around, as warm air blew in through the open window. She turned towards the girl sitting in the passenger seat, Summer, her best friend.

Summer: "I can't wait to see the house!"

Marissa: "Mmm, me either. It's the first time I've seen it since it's gotten like…walls."

Summer giggled a little, then turned the volume up more. "Favorite song!" She said loudly, and Marissa giggled as she began singing along.

--------

Ryan stood in the shade near the house, trying to escape from the California sun as much as possible. His head turned as a white Lexus pulled into the driveway. Knowing it was Marissa, he lifted up a hand and waved. "Hey Ryan!" She called from the open window of the car. "Ohh, he's cute." Summer whispered as they hopped out and walked up the driveway together. "I know!" Marissa giggled back. "Ryan-come meet Summer!" She said once they were closer. "Hey. Nice to meet you." Ryan smiled.

Summer grinned.

"Nice to meet you too."

"Hey Ryan." Marissa said, grabbing Ryan's attention.

"Marissa." His grin widened. "Nice to see you again."

-----

"Wow, nice place…" Summer said as she looked around the big kitchen.

"Yea-" Marissa started to say, but Summer's cell phone cut her off.

Summer: "One Sec…"

"Hello?"

Pause.

"What?"

Pause.

"Seth? I can't hear you…"

Summer looked at Marissa, and mouthed "hold on." Marissa nodded okay, and watched as Summer walked through the front door, trying to get a better reception.

Ryan and Marissa were silent for a moment, then Ryan said "Well, uh, while she's on the phone-I'll go ahead and show you the rest of the house…"

"Yeah." Marissa smiled.

-------

"And this…is the bedroom." Ryan moved aside, letting Marissa walk past him into the room. "Wow…" Marissa let out a squeal. "This is so amazing, Ryan!" Ryan smiled, as walked towards Marissa as she turned to look out a large window. "Jeez…look at this view!"

"Yeah, it's pretty…amazing."

Marissa could feel Ryan's breath on her neck as he stood behind her. She turned around smiling, and looked up into Ryan's eyes. Ryan couldn't help but smile back. He had always been attracted to her. "I love it." She said. "the house. It's beautiful." Ryan smiled again, and leaned in closer to Marissa. He wasn't sure what he was doing…she was getting married. But she was undeniable. "You guys?" Both Ryan and Marissa quickly pulled away from each other as Summer's voice filled the house. "Summer, uh, we're up here!" Marissa gave Ryan one last glance, then quickly walked to the doorway.

--------

"The house is awesome, Coop!" Summer said cheerfully. Marissa nodded. "And the architect-he's not so bad himself!" Marissa giggled, and turned to face her friend. "Ryan?" She asked.

"Yeah, Ryan!" Summer replied. Marissa looked forward, seeing Ryan standing in the driveway, grinning at the girls. Marissa waved. "Bye, Ryan!" Summer yelled out the window. "Sum!" Marissa protested as they pulled out of the driveway.

"What?" Summer asked, shrugging. "You like, have a crush on the architect something?" She teased.

"Pfft! Sum, I'm engaged!"

"Mhmm."

"You know I love Kyle…"

"Yes, I know that. But what I don't know…is what you two were doing upstairs…" Summer raised an eyebrow at Marissa.

"Sum!" Marissa cried, trying to hide the worry in her voice. "He was showing me the upstairs…I can't believe that you'd think…"

"yeah, yeah. But, he is hot."

"Yes, he is. But that doesn't mean I'm cheating on my fiancé with him!"

"Okay Coop, I believe you." Summer said in a sarcastic tone.

Marissa scowled.

"Coop, you know I'm just teasing you! You love Kyle more than anything! And you two are going to get married in a month and a half and have kids, and live happily ever after…"

Marissa smiled to herself.

"Yeah, we are."

Summer said something Marissa didn't hear, then turned on the radio. But Marissa couldn't concentrate on the music. She was trying to erase the thought from her brain. The thought that maybe, Summer was right- Maybe she did have a "crush" on Ryan.

---------

"Hey Sweetie!"

Marissa flung her purse and her keys onto the kitchen counter as she walked into the two bedroom apartment she shared with her fiancé, Kyle.

"Hey Marissa."

She walked into their bedroom, to find Kyle laying on the bed, the TV blaring, and a bottle of beer in his hand. He smiled as she came closer. When fell down on the bed next to him, and as he wrapped his arm around her she lay her head on his chest.

"How was the house?" he asked. She lifted her head. "Incredible." Kyle grinned. "I'm glad you like it."

"I love it."

"I love you…"

Marissa giggled. "and I love you…"

------

Kyle kissed her tenderly. The TV was still blaring, the beer on the nightstand beside their bed. "How…is…Ryan…" Kyle asked between kisses. Marissa pulled away from Kyle for a second. "Ryan?" She asked, and he nodded. "He's-um-good, I guess."

"Oh."

"Yeah. Why are you asking?"

"Just wondering…"

"Okay…"

Kyle kissed her again, every now and then exploring her mouth with his tongue.

-------

"Where are you going?" Marissa saw Kyle standing behind her in the Mirror. She pulled her hair up, then let it hang loose, resting on her shoulders. "I'm going back to the house…"

Kyle looked surprised, then annoyed.

"I thought you went yesterday…"

Marissa turned to face Kyle. "I did-I'm going back today…"

"Why?" he asked, annoyance in his voice.

Marissa turned again, this time putting on a few coats of lip gloss. "He wants to know what we want for the bathrooms-like the tiles and stuff…"

"Is Summer going with you?"

Marissa stood up, and walked up to Kyle. "No."

"I'll come-"

Marissa gave Kyle a fake smile. Why is he being so overprotective?

"No. You have work."

"I'll skip it."

"Kyle, I don't need a baby-sitter…"

Kyle didn't say anything.

"I'll be back by 3. See you." She gave him a quick peck on the cheek. "I love ya."

Yeah, so that was the first chapter. I'd love to hear what you guys think!


	2. Chapter 2

"Ryan!" Marissa said cheerfully, as she hugged Ryan and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. He was surprised when he felt her arms around him, her lips on his cheek, but he didn't mind. At all.

"Hey 'Riss." He said, barely realizing that he had called her by her nickname. An embarrassed expression came across his face as he looked away. Marissa giggled, a flirty smile appearing on her face.

* * *

"Well…that was fun." Ryan said to Marissa, as they finished up. "Mhmm." Marissa mumbled. She was deep in thought. She was going over two hours in her head. All the flirting. All the smiles. All the giggling. She didn't know what Ryan had, what made him so irresistible to her, so undeniable. She had never liked another guy that she barely knew. Not like this.

"Marissa?" he asked. She turned towards him, suddenly aware that he was staring at her. "Uh, yeah?"

Ryan grinned.

"Um…I don't know about you, but I'm hungry. What do you say about getting something to eat? I mean, if you're hungry…but, if you don't want to…you know, we're both here, so we might as well get something to eat. So…what'd you say? Are you hungry?"

Marissa returned the smile.

"Starving."

* * *

Marissa watched Ryan from the corner of her eye. They were sitting in the parking lot, sharing French fries & chicken nuggets. "He's so cute." She thought. He looked up, feeling her eyes on him.

"What?"

Marissa looked down at the French fries sitting in her lap. She could feel herself blushing. She looked back up, into Ryan's big, blue eyes. She was smiling, without even trying. "Nothing." She said quietly. Ryan smiled at her, then they both realized what they were doing, and that they shouldn't be doing it. They shouldn't be smiling at each other, she shouldn't be watching him out of the corner of her eyes, and she shouldn't be questioning her love for Kyle, she shouldn't wonder if she was falling for Ryan.

"I should be getting home…" She said stiffly, looking out the window at the passing cars.

"Yeah…I'll, uh, drive you back."

Marissa closed her eyes as Ryan started up the car, and pulled out of the McDonald's parking lot. She pressed her forehead against the window. Her breath fogged up the window.

"Marissa?" She turned towards him, trying to look happier than she felt. "Are you okay?"

She nodded. "Oh, yeah. I'm fine." Ryan sighed. He quickly glanced at her.

"Listen…I, I know…that…_I_ have...Probably been making you uncomfortable…but…just, just so you know…I _do_ have a girlfriend."

Marissa flashed a cheesy smile.

"Oh. You do?"

Ryan nodded. His eyes were glued to the road in front of him.

"Uh, yeah. I jus thought…I ought to let you know. It…it's getting kind of…weird? Like…with you, Kyle, and I. More of Kyle & me. Just tell him, okay? I don't want him…to, you know. Suspect something that would never happen."

Marissa did not know what to say. Ryan glanced at her. There was a few minutes of awkward silence, then he pulled into the driveway. She blinked a few times, then, quietly said "Yeah…I'll...I'll let him know." She looked into his eyes, and she wasn't sure what she felt. Was she relieved? Or angry? And then it hit her: she was hurt. She had been denying it, but she had developed a small crush on him. Well, more like a big crush on him. And she was almost sure he had felt something for her, too. It had been raining lightly, and as she stepped out of the car, it began pouring. "Bye, Ryan." She yelled over the rain. "I'll, uh…I'll see you." Ryan nodded. "Bye." He said, avoiding her eyes. And for a moment, Marissa just stood there, the rain soaking her clothes, but she didn't care. And Ryan just sat there, watching the raindrops slide down the windshield. "You better go." He said, and without waiting for her to reply, he reached across the seat, and pulled the door shut. He didn't even wait to make sure she got in her car, and drove home safely. He didn't want to wait. He didn't want to be around a girl that he wanted, but could never have.

Marissa just stood there, letting the rain soak her clothes. She would usually run to her car, and then when she got home she would probably complain about her ruined bag, or wet hair. But at that moment, after what Ryan had told her, she felt like she couldn't move. "Something that would never happen." Marissa repeated aloud. Slowly, she turned around and sulked back to her car. Her Abercrombie jeans & shirt were soaked by now. Marissa never wanted to see him again. Or did she? "I didn't like him…I didn't…" Marissa tried to convince herself. She knew she shouldn't make such a big deal or something that never happened. _Something that never would happen_. She just couldn't stand being around something that she wanted, but didn't want her. Starting up her BMW, she realized that she had left her purse in the car. Taking out her cell phone, she was surprised to see the words "You have 4 new messages." Flash across the screen. She groaned, and looked at the clock. 8:49. "Shit." She knew Kyle would kill her. She told him she'd be home at 3. Quickly, she dialed his number, trying to think of an excuse. Her wet hair dripped down her back. She started to shiver, but she didn't care.

"Hello?"

"Hey Baby…sorry, I left my phone in the car…is everything okay? I saw that you called."

She bit her bottom lip, waiting for Kyle to reply.

"Yeah. Everything is fine. Where are you?"

"Ummm…on my way home." She said in a shaky voice.

"Well what took you so long?" Kyle seemed angry. "We just lost track of time. Hey, baby I gotta go. The roads are crazy. I'll be home soon okay? Love you, bye."

She quickly hung up, before Kyle could protest. As she came to a stoplight, she turned on the radio, making sure it was as loud as it could go. She needed something to take her mind off Ryan. Yet, no matter how loud the music was, she couldn't stop thinking of what he told her. _Something that would never happen, something that would never happen_. Marissa sighed angrily, and wiped away the mascara under eyes. "God, Ryan." She said to herself. "What is it about you that makes me like you so much?"

Sorry the update took so long. My computer messed up, so I had to rewrite a lot of the story. So, I hope you enjoyed that chapter, reviews are always welcome!


	3. Chapter 3

Recap:

She didn't know what Ryan had, what made him so irresistible to her, so undeniable. She had never liked another guy that she barely knew. Not like this.

* * *

"Just so you know…I _do_ have a girlfriend."

* * *

And then it hit her: she was hurt. She had been denying it, but she had developed a small crush on him. Well, more like a big crush on him. And she was almost sure he had felt something for her, too.

* * *

Marissa sighed. She was sitting in her car, hiding out in the parking lot. She didn't want to go upstairs to her apartment; she didn't want to face Kyle. But, she knew she had to, so she sighed again, grabbed her purse, and slowly walked to the elevators.

Kyle paced back and forth in front of the door. He had to admit it: he _was_ the jealous type. He just couldn't stand it. The thought of his gorgeous, beautiful, outrageous fiancé spending time with another guy. Especially Ryan, the cheap kid from Chino. Kyle remembered the look on her face when she first saw him. First she was shocked, then she smiled, and giggled, and basically drove him crazy the whole time they were all in the same room. She flirted with everyone—Kyle knew she didn't mean to, but it still drove him crazy.

Marissa slowly walked down the hall, she stopped in front of her door and took a deep breath. Quietly, she knocked.

Kyle was reaching for the phone when he heard the faint knocking on the door. He quickly walked over and yanked the door open.

There Marissa was, soaking wet, and staring at her feet. She kept her head down, but glanced up at Kyle.

"Hey." He said quietly, as slowly wrapped his arms around her, and softly kissed her forehead. "Come Inside." He whispered. She nodded slowly, and let him pull her inside. She sat down on a brown, leather couch, and Kyle sat across from her, in a matching chair. "So, um…" Kyle tried not to sound upset. He cleared his throat. "What took so long?" He asked eagerly. Marissa looked away and shrugged.

"We just lost track of time." She said flatly.

"Oh, right." Kyle snapped. "You lost track of time."

"Yeah, we did." Marissa defended.

"So what were you two doing the whole time, huh? Last time I checked it didn't take THAT long to pick out some colors, or whatever the hell you were doing."

Marissa crossed her arms across her chest. "Fine, if you want to know _sooooo_ bad…" She stood up. "We went out to dinner. And that's it, Kyle. We picked out some stuff for the house, and then we went out to dinner. That's what you've been slaving over the whole night."

She stomped into the bathroom, slammed the door, and turned on the shower. She could hear Kyle yelling from the living room. "Well, fine! If you'd rather go out with the architect, go right ahead. After all, I am only your _fiancé_."

"Yeah, right." Marissa muttered to herself.

* * *

"Theresa!" Ryan called, as he let the screen door slam shut. He kicked off his wet shoes, and threw his keys on the counter. Theresa appeared in the doorway, her hair was dripping wet and she was wearing a pink bathrobe.

"Hey." She walked across the room to Ryan, and kissed him on the cheek. He looked away.

Her kisses were different than Marissa's. Not that he cared.

Theresa was standing close to him. He kept looking away, though he could feel her eyes on him.

"You're all wet." Theresa said, then grinned.

"Yeah, it's raining." Ryan said softly. Not that it was hard to notice. He could hear the loud pitter-patter of the rain on the roof.

Theresa sighed, and started twirling her long, black hair around her finger, watching Ryan.

"What's wrong?" She said quietly.

"Nothing's wrong." He said quickly.

"Something is obviously wrong…" Theresa rubbed her forehead.

"Nothing is wrong!" Ryan snapped.

The color faded from Theresa's cheeks. She hated it when Ryan yelled. She turned around, grabbed a glass off the counter, and poured herself a glass of water.

"How's the house coming?" She asked after a few minutes.

Ryan shrugged. "Good, I guess."

"Same thing as usual?"

Theresa walked to the living room, where she sat down on an old, brown couch. In front of her sat a small Tv.

"What do you mean by 'usual'?" He leaned against the door frame. Theresa took another sip, then looked at Ryan.

"The usual…is a huge, huge house that people like…us…only dream about living in."

Ryan nodded. "That's about it."

"Mmm." Theresa turned her attention back to the tv. There was a minute of silence, then she asked "Who's it for?"

Ryan, who had been staring off into space, thinking about his day, looked towards Theresa. He had hardly even noticed she was talking to him, because her eyes remained on the television. "What?" He asked dumbly.

"The house. Who's it for?" Theresa sipped her water.

Ryan hesitated. "For this girl.." Theresa looked up. "And her fiancé." He added.

Ryan watched as Theresa glanced away. "Oh."

He could hear the disappointment in her voice. He had promised her he would never, ever let her down again. He opened his mouth, about to say something like "I love you" or something to make her believe he wasn't interested in Marissa. Deep down, he knew he was lying. But, she spoke before he did.

"Look, I'm going to bed. See you." She brushed past him, and left the room.

He still remembered that one night, but he wanted to forget is so bad. Her name was Sarah Orlando. He had met her at a bar a few minutes away, and, the spur of the moment, decided to bring her home. Theresa was supposed to be gone that night. It was supposed to be a little fun, and then it'd be over. But things didn't work out as planned. Theresa came home, caught him…and there's not much else to the story. Well, he did have to plead her to forgive him, he had to promise over, and over, and over again that it would never happen again. But, he'd never forget those few moments, where he felt like he was free to do anything; like he had escaped Chino just for one night.

That was why he was so drawn to Marissa.

She was an escape from his usual life. She was something to look forward to; someone to keep you on the edge of your seat.

Reviews are always welcome. :)


	4. Chapter 4

Recap:

She didn't want to go upstairs to her apartment; she didn't want to face Kyle. But, she knew she had to, so she sighed again, grabbed her purse, and slowly walked to the elevators.

* * *

"Theresa!" Ryan called, as he let the screen door slam shut. He kicked off his wet shoes, and threw his keys on the counter. Theresa appeared in the doorway, her hair was dripping wet and she was wearing a pink bathrobe.

"Hey." She walked across the room to Ryan, and kissed him on the cheek. He looked away.

Her kisses were different than Marissa's. Not that he cared.

* * *

She was an escape from his usual life. She was something to look forward to; someone to keep you on the edge of your seat.

* * *

Marissa sighed as she traced the diamond on her ring with her index finger. She sighed again, and looked down at her feet. It had been a long night. Marissa had just gotten out of the shower. She had been thinking. She was getting married soon. And a few weeks ago, she didn't want anything else in the world more than she wanted to be married to Kyle. She pictured her wedding day over and over again in her head. But now things were a little different. She still loved Kyle. But when she saw Ryan, when she talked to Ryan, it was like there was no Kyle; it was just Ryan and Marissa in their own world. She decided she would call him first thing in the morning. She _had_ to know if there was actually something between them.

* * *

Ryan couldn't really sleep. Yet he was exhausted. There were so many things racing through his mind. He pulled the blanket over his chest, and turned over onto his side. The couch was uncomfortable. He wasn't exactly sure why he had chosen to sleep there. He just had a feeling like he should. He had originally climbed into bed next to Theresa, but it was..uncomfortable. He knew he couldn't pretend he didn't have feelings for this girl for long. If he woke up next to Theresa, it just wouldn't be right. It'd be like he didn't like Marissa in that sort of way. 

But he did.

So he slept on the couch.

Ryan rubbed his chin as he continued to think. He wanted to talk to Marissa. He wanted to take it all back; he wanted to tell her he cared about her. That he wanted her. That he _needed_ her.

But there was also Theresa. It wasn't that he didn't love her. But...it wasn't like he did love her. It was confusing; with Theresa. He had known her pretty much all his life, and everyone figured they'd end up being together. But to him, she was more like a best friend than a girlfriend. She didn't know that, though.

* * *

Marissa blinked her eyes a few times. Her vision cleared. "Ow.." She said to herself, as she grabbed onto the edge of the mattress, and pulled herself up. 

Kyle: "You okay?"

She looked up, to see Kyle looking at her, grinning. "Um, yeah." She sat back down on the bed. "I guess I rolled off."

Kyle nodded, and leaned in to kiss her forehead. She quickly leaned back, avoiding his kiss. "Um, sweetie?" She thought of a quick excuse. "I have a headache, mind getting me some aspirin?"

Kyle looked confused, but nodded okay. "Sure."

She watched as he walked out of the room. She didn't exactly remember what happened last night. She knew she came in around 3and went to sleep. She also remembered what she had to do. _She had to call Ryan_.A few minutes later, Kyle appeared in the doorway.

"Here, take this." He handed her a pill, then a glass of water. She looked down at the pill lying in her palm.

"Everything okay?" Kyle asked. She nodded, popped the pill into her mouth, and swallowed.

"Thanks." She mumbled.

"Anytime, honey. You hungry at all?"

Marissa shook her head, and kept her eyes glued to the floor.

"Oh, okay." She glanced up at Kyle. He was watching her, with the same confused expression he had before. "And you're sure everything's okay?"

Marissa: "Yeah, everything's fine. I'm just…a little tired." She looked up at Kyle and tried to smile.

He stroked her cheek and smiled. "Okay. I'm going to work today, okay? So I'll probably leave in an hour or so."

"Okay." Marissa looked away.

"Yeah, so…I'll be in the shower." Kyle turned around, and walked towards the doorway.

"Okay." Marissa replied stiffly. He turned his head and glanced at her, then walked out. Marissa sighed, and as soon as she heard the shower turn on, she grabbed her cell phone, which was lying on the table next to her bed. She scanned through her phone book until she found "Ryan." The phone rang a few times, and then someone picked up. A girl.

Theresa: Hello?

Marissa: Uh.

Her mind went blank. Then she remembered. He had a girlfriend. Right.

Marissa: Oh, Hi. I, uh, I'm calling for Ryan.

Theresa: Um. Okay.

Marissa could hear talking in the background, then Ryan's voice. She walked out of the bed room, past the bathroom and living room, and into the kitchen.

Ryan: Hello?

Marissa: Ryan, Hi.

Her voice was shaky.

Marissa: I was just calling to see if we could…get together today?

Ryan was silent.

"At the house, I mean." She added.

Ryan: Um, yeah. Sure. Sounds great.

Marissa grinned.

Marissa: Okay, so…I'll meet you around 12. Is that okay?

Marissa jumped when Kyle, who was standing behind her, spoke. "Meet who at twelve?"

She turned around quickly. Kyle was standing in the hallway. He was holding a towel around his waist, and his hair was dripping wet. She could feel herself blushing. "Summer." She blurted out.

"Huh?" Ryan asked.

"Oh." Kyle raised his eyebrows. The two of them just stood there, staring at each other.

"Hello?" Ryan asked on the other end of the phone.

Marissa (to Ryan): Oh, sorry.

Kyle turned around and walked into their room.

Marissa: Okay, so 12's good?

Ryan: Yeah, that's good.

Marissa: Okay, see you then.

Ryan: Bye.

Marissa hung up the phone and smiled to herself. She hurried to the bathroom, and started getting ready.

* * *

Marissa took one last look in the mirror. She knew she had taken he time getting ready. She wanted to look good.

"Okay, honey!" She called, as she draped her purse over one shoulder and grabbed her keys. "I'm leaving now!"

She stood by the door, waiting for a reply. Nothing. Marissa looked at the clock. "Maybe he already left for work" She thought.

"Honey?" She called again.

"Yeah, bye." She heard Kyle say. She shrugged, and left the apartment.

* * *

"Where are you going?" 

Ryan slowly chewed his apple. "I'm meeting someone."

Theresa raised an eyebrow. "Who?"

Ryan took another bite of his apple. "Marissa."

"Marissa?" Theresa repeated.

Ryan nodded. "She's, uh, the owner of the house."

"Oh." Theresa smiled bitterly. "Right."

* * *

"Hey Ryan." 

"Hey."

Marissa folded her arms across her chest. They stood in the driveway, looking in opposite directions. An awkward silence fell between them.

"So, should we go inside?"

"Yeah, I guess."

They silently walked up the driveway, sneaking glances at one another. They came to the door, and Ryan held it open for Marissa. "Thanks." She said as she stepped inside. She walked around the empty house.

"Do you…want to go take a look at the pool?" He asked without making eye contact.

"Oh, yeah!" She said cheerfully. Marissa followed him out of the house and into the backyard.

"Wow." She said, as soon as she saw the infinity pool. "It's…huge." She walked around the edge of the pool, before kicking off her sandals. "I love it."

Ryan smiled. He watched as she sat down, and rolled up her jeans. She splashed her legs in the pool, then turned around, squinting in the sun. "C'mon." She patted on the ground next to her. "You don't have to be so shy."

Ryan hesitated, then walked over to where she was sitting.

"It feels good." She looked up smiling, and wiggled her toes in the water.

He grinned, then decided it wouldn't hurt. He kicked off his boots, then rolled up his jeans like Marissa had done. He lowered his feet into the pool, and Marissa turned towards him and grinned. "Not so bad, huh?"

Ryan looked down at the water and shook his head. There were a few minutes of silence, but then Ryan turned his head towards Marissa.

"Marissa, I want to talk to you about…last night."

Marissa's smile slowly faded. She continued looking down.

"Okay." She said softly.

Ryan was silent. "I…I'm sorry. About what I said. I don't want things to be awkward between us."

Marissa was disappointed. At this point she was too shy to tell him how she really felt.

"Yeah." She nodded. "I totally know what you mean."

"And I was wondering if you wanted to go out for dinner sometime this weekend."

Ryan seemed more surprised than Marissa did. She grinned, and looked up. He had just asked her out for dinner.

"I'd love to."

Ryan smiled. "Okay, cool. I guess I'll…call you?"

"Call my cell." She replied quickly.

"Okay." Ryan stood up, then reached his hand down towards Marissa. She took it, and he helped her up.

"And Kyle can come, too." He added. Marissa looked down at her feet. "Uhh, yeah, maybe."

* * *

"Hello?" 

"Hey Kyle, is Marissa there?"

"Summer?"

"Yup."

Kyle frowned. He switched the phone from one ear to another.

"Isn't she with you?"

"Ummmm…" Summer trailed off.

Kyle leaned against the kitchen counter.

"She said you two went shopping…"

"…Oh, oh! Right. That's Right. We _were_ shopping, but then…Marissa went home. Yeah! And, so I was, um, calling to see if she got home safe." Summer giggled. "But, I guess she's not home yet, so bye!"

Kyle heard a click, then hung up the phone. He folded his arms across his chest. Where was Marissa? He grabbed his sunglasses and keys, and headed out the door. He could only think of one place where'd she be that she wouldn't tell him about.

Reviews are always welcome. :)


	5. Chapter 5

Hey, sorry I haven't posted, I've been busy. Anyway, here's the next chapter. Enjoy!

Recap:

He wanted to tell her he cared about her. That he wanted her. That he _needed_ her.

* * *

"And I was wondering if you wanted to go out for dinner sometime this weekend."

"I'd love to."

* * *

Where was Marissa? He grabbed his sunglasses and keys, and headed out the door. He could only think of one place where'd she be that she wouldn't tell him about.

* * *

Kyle blasted music as he drove to the house. He wasn't sure what he was doing. She wasn't cheating, he knew she wasn't cheating. She couldn't be cheating. She was just…looking at the house. Yeah.

* * *

Marissa waved goodbye. "Bye Ryan! I'll, um, see you..soon!"

He smiled and waved. "Bye."

She opened the door and climbed into her car. Marissa started it up, and waved one last time, before pulling out of the driveway. Ryan smiled and watched her drive away. He still couldn't get the image of Marissa smiling at him out of his head.

* * *

Marissa drove in silence, then reached over to turn on the radio, when she noticed her phone laying on the floor of the car. She reached down, and picked it up. "Hmm, 2 missed calls?" She said to herself. She dialed the number for voice mail. "First Voice Message. 'Hey Coop…Well, I can't really call you Coop 'cause you're getting married…well, I can't if you change your last name…are you? Umm…anyway…uhh, oh yeah. Where the heck are you? Lying to Kyle, are we? Call me!'" Marissa bit her bottom lip. "Crap." She thought to herself. She didn't know what happened, but she did know that Kyle had figured something out. "Second Voice Message: 'Hello, Darling. Guess who! Okay, enough being nice. I'm just calling to warn you I'm coming down to see you next week, to plan for the wedding and stuff. Bye!"

Marissa sighed and hung up her phone. "Great!" She said out loud, sarcastically. "This is great."

* * *

Kyle drove up the driveway, just as Ryan was driving away. He slowed down, and rolled down the window. Ryan did the same.

"Hey Ryan, nice to see you."

"Uh, Hey."

"Have you seen Marissa by any chance?" Ryan looked confused. "She was just here." He thought, but something stopped him from saying it. "Oh, no. I haven't. She's not with you?"

Kyle shook his head. " I don't know where she is."

"Oh, well, good luck finding her." Ryan began rolling up his window.

"Wait!" Ryan stopped.

"You're sure you haven't seen her?"

"Yeah, man. She's not here, if that's what you mean."

Kyle didn't reply, he just turned and stared at the house. "Okay. Well, then, bye." He drove off before Ryan could reply.

* * *

When Marissa got home, she wasn't sure what to do. She wasn't sure if she should call, or leave, or…stay. She flopped down on the couch and turned on the TV. After flipping through a few channels, she settled on a marathon of The Bachelor. After about 40 minutes, Kyle burst through the door. "Oh, so you're here?" He said angrily. Marissa sat up, and nodded. "Have been for um, like…awhile."

"Where were you before?" He questioned. Kyle eyed her suspiciously. "Shopping." She lied.

Kyle: "Oh, what'd you buy?"

Marissa: "Nothing."

Kyle chuckled. "_You_ didn't buy…_anything_?"

Marissa nodded.

"That's a first." He said quietly. She looked away. Kyle suddenly realized what he was doing. He was being a jerk. He walked from the doorway to the couch, not even bothering to close the door. "Listen, I'm…sorry. You've just been acting weird lately, that's all."

Marissa was silent. Kyle went on. "Are you hungry at all?"

She shook her head no, keeping her eyes on the television. Kyle mumbled something, and walked to the kitchen. Marissa exhaled loudly, then she heard her name being called from the hallway. "Marissa!" She sat up and turned around, to see Summer standing in the open doorway. "Marissa!" She repeated, her eyes wide. "What were you thinking? What were you doing…" Summer stepped closer into the apartment, and her face turned white when she saw Kyle standing in the kitchen. "…not buying that skirt!" She added quickly. "It was sooooo cute. You'd look so good in it. I don't know what you were thinking. I think we need to go back." Summer went on. She smiled at Kyle. "Oh, Hi Kyle." She giggled.

"Hi, Summer."

An awkward silence fell between the three of them. "So, ummm, Marissa." Summer interrupted. "I think I left my, eh, sweater in your car.."

Summer looked at Marissa and nodded slightly. "Oh, uh, right." Marissa said. She got up, and grabbed her car keys off the coffee table. "We'll be right back."

Marissa quickly walked out into the hallway, Summer at her side. "Okay, what the hell is happening?" Summer questioned when they were farther down the hall. Marissa looked down at her bare feet, wondering how she could tell Summer about Ryan; how she felt about Ryan.

"Nothing." She said plainly, but Summer didn't take that for an answer.

"Nothing!" Summer repeated, as Marissa pressed the down arrow for the elevators. "You're trying to tell me that nothing's wrong..you just decided to lie to Kyle? Is that it?" Marissa could hear the elevator coming down to her floor. "Well, um…" She began, but the elevator doors opened with a 'ding' and she stepped inside. Summer stayed in the hall, staring at Marissa in bewilderment, before joining her in the elevator. The girls were silent. Marissa dared to sneak a glance at Summer. Her friend's cheeks were red, and Marissa could tell Summer was frustrated. She _did_ suffer from rage blackouts. Summer looked up, and caught Marissa's glance. Suddenly her eyes became softer. "Listen, Marissa. Just..tell me. I'm not going to tell Kyle or anything."

Marissa sighed, and began to tell Summer everything. By the time she was done with her story, they were in the parking garage. Summer folded her arms across her chest and looked at Marissa's car. "Hmm" was all she said. Marissa blushed.

"So, you…like, have a thing for Ryan."

Marissa nodded, agreeing with Summer's remark.

"But, I mean..I don't know. Of course I love Kyle, I mean..we're getting _married_. It's just…Ryan's so different, and-" "Wait, so when are you two going out for dinner?" Summer interrupted. Marissa shrugged. "I don't know, he's supposed to call me." Summer raised her eyebrows.

"Well, Coop, I don't know what to say except…do what your heart tells you to." Marissa smiled, but looked unhappy. Summer patted her back softly.

"I knew you liked him." Marissa looked towards Summer, who was smiling. "That day we went to the house.." She continued. "I just…knew it." Marissa smiled. Summer sighed, then continued. "But, honey, you're getting _married_. And do you know how much it would hurt him if he found out about..this? He really loves you, Marissa. Even though he may yell, or be overprotective, or jealous, or whatever the hell he does, he…he loves you." Marissa bit her bottom lip. "I wish someone loved me like that."

Marissa looked at Summer. "Zach.."

Summer suddenly seemed annoyed, like Marissa acted when she was around Kyle. "Zach." Summer repeated. "He's, uh, he's great. I love him, I guess..but I'm not_ in_ love with him. He's just someone to be with, but not exactly Mr. Right."

Marissa looked down at her hands, right at her engagement ring. Now everyone who had seemed perfect wasn't so perfect anymore. Summer and Zach, Kyle and Marissa. They were all once the perfect couples. They were supposed to be the perfect couples. Summer sighed. "Let's go back." They both started walking back.

Once they were in the elevator, Summer turned to Marissa. "Riss, I think we need a break."

"What?"

"We need a break. From these boys. C'mon, we could go to L.A. for the weekend and go shopping."

Marissa nodded. "Yeah." Summer smiled. "So, it's set? We can leave tomorrow morning."

"Sounds good to me."

The girls walked back into the apartment. Kyle was now on the couch. He turned when they walked in. "Hey Kyle!" Marissa said cheerfully. "Summer and I were thinking…tomorrow we wanna go to Los Angeles for like, the weekend? You know, just do some shopping."

Marissa smiled, and joined him on the couch. Kyle nodded. "Oh, yeah, sure. Go ahead."

Marissa gave him a quick peck on the cheek. "Thanks honey!" She got up and walked towards the bedroom, then stopped and turned around. "We're leaving tomorrow morning, I think."

"Okay." Marissa smiled, then turned and disappeared into her room, Summer close behind. Kyle smiled, pleased that the tension between them was gone.

Summer sat on the bed, and watched as Marissa packed a small suitcase. "That was quite a mood swing." She said softly. Marissa looked up. "What do you mean?" She asked as she folded a polo and put it in her suitcase.

"I mean, you're fed up with Kyle one minute, and it's hard to tell you two are even together..and then the next minute it's like 'aww.'"

Marissa looked down at her suitcase.

* * *

Kyle woke up and looked at the clock. 8:17. He rolled over at looked at Marissa. She was still asleep. And as he lay there watching her, all he wanted to do was wake her up and ask her for the truth. He had a million questions, like what was she actually doing yesterday? Because it was obvious she wasn't shopping with Summer. Kyle sighed. He slowly got out of bed. As he was walking towards the bathroom, he heard Marissa's cell phone ringing in the other room. Since she was still sleeping, he decided to answer it, expecting it was Summer. He walked into the living room, saw Marissa's cell phone laying on the floor near the sofa, and picked it up, not even bothering to look at the number.

"Hello?"

"Um, Hi. Is this…Marissa's number?"

"Yeah."

"Oh, um, is she there?"

Kyle sat down on the couch. "No. I mean, yeah..but she's sleeping."

"Oh, okay."

"May I ask who's calling?"

There was silence on the other line. "Uhh…It's Ryan."

Kyle leaned back against the couch. "Oh, Hi. Do you, um, need something?"

Ryan: "No, just, uh, just tell her I called."

Kyle: "Is it something with the house? I mean, that's the only reason you'd be calling, right?"

Ryan was silent.

"Just tell her I found her bracelet.." He finally said. And it was true. He held it in his hands. It was a silver chain with a heart charm, the words "Tiffany & Co" engraved in it. That wasn't exactly the reason he was calling, but since Kyle answered the phone he decided he shouldn't tell him about their dinner plans.._just in case she hadn't told him_.

"What?"

"I found Marissa's bracelet…she must have lost it at the house the other day. Just tell her I called, alright? I have to go, bye."

Ryan quickly hung up the phone before Kyle could reply. He knew Kyle didn't like him.

Kyle hung up the phone after he heard a 'click.' He threw Marissa's phone on the couch as he stood up. He wasn't going to tell Marissa Ryan called. He could handle this himself.

* * *

Marissa woke up at about 8:45. She could hear the shower running in the bathroom. She got out of bed and stretched, before walking to the kitchen. As she was making breakfast, the phone rang. It was Summer, saying she'd be there in about 10 minutes.

* * *

Kyle got out of the shower just as Summer arrived. "Bye, Kyle!"Marissa blew him a kiss from the doorway. "Bye." He said plainly, and watched from the doorway of the bathroom as Marissa closed the door. He could hear the two girls talking as they walked down the hall, but finally the voices faded and he was alone.

* * *

Marissa laughed as they walked back to Summer's car, bags of Cheetos and sodas in their hands. "Ew, the bathroom was so gross!" Marissa said, as she looked back at the rest-stop behind them. "Haha, I know!" Summer agreed. Both girls got into the car, Summer driving and Marissa in the passenger's seat. They drove for awhile, when Summer finally declared that they were lost. "Su-mmmmer." Marissa complained. Summer laughed. "God, where are we?" They drove a little longer, then Summer decided to stop and ask someone exactly where they were. The first person they saw was a boy a few years younger than them, and he was sitting on his bike in front of a small grocery store. "Hey There." Summer gave him one of her classic, flirty smiles. "Can you, um, tell me where I am?" The boy stared at her strangely, but finally replied "Chino." Summer looked surprised, and as she drove away Marissa could see the boy laughing.

"We're in Chino!" Summer giggled. She turned town a street, then another, and they were driving through a small neighborhood. "Summer, let's stop and ask for directions."

Summer quickly shook her head. "Nuh-uh." She replied, then added "It's Chino. What if we get shot or something?"

Marissa smiled.

"Fine, but can I drive? I've actually, um, been here before." Summer nodded, and they pulled over to switch places. They kept driving a few blocks, when looked Marissa noticed a shirtless man in a mowing a lawn a few houses in front of them. They continued to drive closer, but his head was down, so Marissa couldn't see his face. "Let's stop and ask him…" Summer suggested, and Marissa nodded. They got closer and closer, and finally, he looked up. Marissa was sure he heart had stopped. "Cutie!" Summer said under her breath, as she rolled down her window, not realizing exactly who it was.

"Hey, we're on our way to LA, and well, um, we're lost." She laughed. "Mind helping us out?"

Ryan nodded. He was sure he had seen this girl somewhere. Marissa thought she was going to faint. "Summer" she whispered. "That's him."

Summer turned around, looking at Marissa in shock. "Ryan?" She mouthed, and Marissa nodded. Summer smirked, then turned back to Ryan. He was now curious to see who this girl was talking to. He strained his neck, and was surprised to see that he recognized the girl. "Marissa?" He said aloud, and she leaned forward in the car. "Hey." She said, smiling. "Hey." He grinned back. There was a minute of silence, with Marissa and Ryan just grinning at each other, when Summer interrupted. "Umm…" Ryan looked to Summer, and he remembered her now. She was Marissa's friend.

"Oh, um, right." He carefully explained to them how to get out of Chino, and to L.A. Marissa couldn't take her eyes off Ryan. She didn't mind this little detour anymore. When he was finished giving directions, he seemed to sense Marissa's eyes on him. Their eyes locked, and she automatically grinned. He smiled, and for a second, she actually thought she was in love with him. Marissa finally pulled her eyes away when a screen door behind him slammed. He turned around, and Marissa knew who it was. A girl about Marissa's age appeared next to Ryan, holding two glasses of water. "Hi Theresa." She heard him say. She observed 'Theresa.' She was a pretty girl, with wavy black hair all the way down to her torso. Marissa instantly knew she was jealous of this girl. She seemed to have a not-so-innocent side to her. Maybe Ryan liked that. The girl, Theresa, stared at their car like she had never seen anything like it. Maybe she hadn't. Her eyes slowly made their way down to Marissa, and the two of them just stared at one another. No one spoke, until Summer interrupted the silence yet again.  
"Hi, we were just, uh, asking for directions."

Theresa frowned, her eyes confused. "Oh." She finally replied. She didn't seem to like them. Theresa looked at Marissa again. She thought she had recognized her from somewhere, but she couldn't be so sure. To her surprise, something suddenly clicked, and she knew. She remembered when Ryan first started meeting with Marissa & Kyle O'Connor about their new house. She had decided to tag along, but later decided she was too shy to talk to anyone from Newport. So she hid in the car, and had seen a quick glimpse of Marissa. Now she looked back at the same girl, into the same emerald eyes.

"So, thanks…bye." Summer added. Theresa was aware that all their eyes were on her.

"Bye." Ryan said softly. And they drove off, before Theresa could say good-bye, but she doubted she would have anyway. She felt betrayed by this girl, even though she had never even talked to her until then.

Marissa watched Ryan in the rear-view mirror as she drove away. He followed the car with his eyes. Theresa still stood next to him, holding the glasses. A feeling of sorrow came over Marissa. For a second there, she actually thought she had fallen in love with Ryan Atwood.

Reviews are always welcome. :)


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